THE REINFORCEMENTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IV, Issue 429, 7 August 1915, Page 2

THE REINFORCEMENTS

< W LIFE. ATVVAIKWVE. 1 Private W. G. ('alh nder writes a: very chatty letter to a friend in Hast- i ing- ; - from’which we have been privileged to make a few extracts, hr his letter Private Callender states | they had a pretty bad time at first | in theii- new qu’nrtei-s at Waikanae, being flooded out the second da.v of their arrival, but at present the sur-j roundings are more cheerful. The men, he states, are awfully sick of humping their ‘‘blueies" about, and the poor old “authorities” have had a bad rime of it. They are now enjoying splendi weather, vvith cold chilly nights. The place is, very healthy .and the men are all feeling very fit. The only drawback is that the’ only pub is eight miles away. They are camped less than three

miles from the sea. and they occasionally march down to the beach for drill. ’ The men are making up lost lime in drill. Groat .attention .is being paid to the musketry portion of the drill. The men are also being trained in the picking up of objects quickly and the correct estimating of ' distances. The drill that takes it out of the men most is the bayonet fighting, and although, at first the work is hard, the mon are now .able to chuck the rifle .and bayonet .about like a feather. Private Callender says it is a most interesting drill, especialh" infighting. The major who conducts this class of drill told them the other da.v that, the Australian .troops were the only'troops in the ' world who went in for the butt fight-

ing. Giving a description of camp life generally. Private Callender says the men are living like “fighting cocks,' and everything is going on very pleasantly.